Therysvar, Royal Sanctum.

  The kingdom of Therysvar was different of the rest of the kingdoms in the Aetheris continent, they didn’t have a danger zone near them and it has been established as a neutral zone, it was the union of people who live in hundreds of Islands.

  Unlike other monarchs, Selene bore not a normal crown, her crown was carved from minerals only found at the bottom of the ocean. She wore robes of deep green, and her hands bore rings bestowed upon her by the marine creatures, recognizing her as the true leader of the lands on the surface.

  Tonight she received an alert from her allies in the ocean, so she has been waiting at the border of the castle which was constructed in a cliff.

  From the water rose a creature with no stable form, changing its appearance every second, sometimes it has a humanoid form, then a beast kind, when it reached the queen, it was in the shape of an elf.

  “What is the matter Thadric?” The queen doesn’t waste any time and ask the creature.

  “The ocean has spoken, a prophecy has been delivered.”

  “Is it bad? Are we in danger?”

  “It’s not been decided yet.”

  “What do you mean?” She asks in confusion.

  “It’s a changing prophecy, one with millions of different ends.”

  “What does it say?”

  This time the creature decide to use its own tongue to transmit the message.

  “The last unnamed has been chosen.

  It has been born in shadow.

  If it’s not touch by the sun then the world will meet its end.

  The circle has been broken, it should be dead but it’s not.”

  The creature stays still for a few seconds until it breaks the silence again.

  “What do you plan to do Selene?”

  “I haven’t decided.” The queen says facing the ocean, her head with a million thoughts.

  “Choose wisely, if you decide wrong, it could be the end for your people and maybe for us.”

  “I think you are overreacting Thadric.”

  “I’m not, it’s the first prophecy of this magnitude in centuries.”

  “Exactly, it’s not the first one, if we have survived in the past, then there is hope, maybe not for us but for our kingdoms.”

  “I hope you are right this time Selene.” It’s the last thing the creature says before transforming and launching itself to the ocean.

  The queen keeps staring into the ocean for some time until she finally decides to return to her castle, while she was walking a person emerged from her own shadow.

  “That could been dangerous my queen.”

  “We can trust Thadric.”

  “I know that he’s your friend my queen but please come with more protection the next time you reunited with its kind.”

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  “I know Aeris, let’s go, we should prepare a meeting with the council.”

  “Will you stop it my queen?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about the prophecy, if you meet the last unnamed, will you bind it as you did with the dream eaters? Or will you let it decide its own destiny?”

  A few seconds pass before the queen speaks again.

  “We cannot take a decision this important like this, it’s not in our people to act that way, and only barbarians can do it as you say.”

  “I know that our queen will take the best course of action.”

  “Stop with that, we need to hurry, we should consider how the rest of the rulers in this continent are going to react.”

  “Difficult times are approaching my queen.”

  “We will survive, you don’t need to worry.”

  Both of them continue their path in silence.

  The Ivory Chapel, Grand Basilica of the sacred veil.

  The bells of the Ivory Chapel tolled with precision, choirs in silver robes moved in perfect symmetry, their harmonies echoing through archways carved from marble, stained glass windows shimmered with scenes of angels triumphant, demons banishes and mankind kneeling in glory.

  Below the altar, under the false tom of the saint Viktor, the true church beat like a second heart.

  There were tunnels leading to ritual rooms, if people find out about this, they will be horrified by what it’s happening down here, research on human bodies, ancient rituals that could summon a demon, secret meetings with people in power.

  A hundred feet beneath the pulpit, where sunlight could not reach and holy water turned sour, the council of the light gathered.

  Clad in crimson and obsidian vestments, everyone stood around a demonic statue.

  They start singing their own vow to open the path to the demon who was bound to the statue.

  “We are the ones chosen by the true ruler.

  We are the ones who choose to sell our souls in exchange of power and knowledge.

  We are the ones who know were the true power resides.

  When the time comes we will bring hell to earth.”

  When the chorus ends with their vow, the statue starts shaking and its eyes gain a red color, the shadows in the chamber grow in size as if they wanted to devour every person who is inside this place. The candles change the color of the fire, from a red color it change to a green one, a wind howled with no source.

  And a voice fill the area, everyone knew that it came from the statue.

  “A voice awakens outside the choir.

  It has not shape yet.

  If it learns to speak nice words the church will meet its end.

  If it learns to curse then we will rise and the moment of our arrival will be close.

  Your pact is known.

  Your sins counted.

  Condemn to servitude the voice and make it ours.”

  One of the high priest succumb to his knees screaming.

  “No! Please! Not me! Aaahh!”

  He starts bleeding from his eyes and mouth, contorting with an indescribable pain.

  Every other person in the room don’t move, respecting the election from their master.

  After some time the high priest gets up from the floor, his face doesn’t reflect pain anymore, only a small smile adorns it.

  “Not the best body to move but it should be enough for now.” The man says.

  “Master.” Every individual in the room gets on their knees proclaiming the man as their master.

  “Find me a proper body next time, this one will get corrupted in a few days.”

  “As you command!” Other high priest recognize the words of the man.

  “The prophecy you just received was sent by my own master.”

  That’s right, the man wasn’t a high demon in hierarchy, he was one of the minions of one of them, but the world couldn’t accommodate a high demon, at least not yet.

  “We should use the one that has been chosen to open the path to hell, that entity is the key to bring our masters, we can even make it a proper devil out of itself.”

  “Yes!” Everyone responds in unison.

  The night continue and only the shadows knew about what happen down there.